Bare Feet on Sharp Stones
by Samura Sheikah
Summary: A severely messed up Oneshot. What if Zhuge Liang's last few days on earth are not as the books tell?


Zhuge Liang's last few days were not as the books tell…

Jiang Wei wondered if it was Lord Liu Bei's death, His rival Sima Yi, or simply the stresses of war that finally caused master Zhuge Liang to lose his mind.

He sat on the edge of his master's bed, looking down at the man who he had admired.

He was now just a mad man, no more than gibberish escaping him.

Once… Prime minister had been the greatest mind in all the lands, an unparalleled military genius.

Now his mind was fractured beyond repair.

It was at the battle of Wu Zhang Plains, when they had set up camp, that is when it began.

At first, no one noticed.

Jiang Wei, being in constant attendance with the prime minister, begun to notice the strange comments his lord had been making, things almost undetectable.

There was nothing wrong with Prime minister.

He was just tired.

Wei kept making up excuses for his lord's behaviour.

Wei always told himself, its Zhuge Ling, he is just tired…

But as the episodes became more frequent, it became obvious that something was wrong.

Wei had hoped, prayed that it was just the war.

But he was wrong.

Master Zhuge Liang was more than just tired.

One day that remained on Jiang Wei's mind, one terrible day, he found his master in the courtyard, trailing blood.

He rushed to his lord's side to help and found that Zhuge Liang had gone for a long walk.

Without shoes.

Bare feet on sharp stones…

Jiang Wei was obviously distressed, enquiring as to why his master would hurt himself so.

Zhuge Ling laughed.

"Oh Jiang Wei, if I wear my shoes, they will get dirty."

Jiang Wei had cried. It was the first time in a long while that he had cried.

Zhuge Liang still made sense, but his perceptions were fractured.

The great Zhuge Liang.

Insane.

Jiang Wei vowed that no one would find out.

But how could he keep them from finding out?

Zhuge Liang was making no attempt to hide his strange behaviour.

It was only a matter of time.

Jiang Wei had given up his own shoes so that his lord could walk back to his tent without harming himself further.

Zhuge Liang needed rest.

And Jiang Wei was going to make him rest, whether he wanted to or not.

Jiang Wei told himself that this would not continue long, just until his master was better…

He bade his master lay in bed and rest, handing him a drink.

Which he had poisoned.

Not enough to hurt him permanently.

Just enough to keep him out of the way.

Where he couldn't hurt himself.

And no one would find out.

So, Liang unknowingly drank poison.

Every day.

And he remained sick.

It was easier to maintain Jiang Wei's façade this way.

He simply told all visitors that his master was studying.

And didn't want to be seen.

It was Zhuge's wife that first begun to suspect something.

Jiang Wei had refused her request for entry to her husband's tent.

The second was lord Liu Chan.

He had requested information from Zhuge Liang regarding his studies.

Of course there were no fruits of Liang's study.

As Liang was not studying…

But this was one problem Jiang Wei could remedy.

He had learned well to mimic his master's writing.

He studied tirelessly in his master's stead.

And produced tactics and battle plans.

In his lord's name.

Liu Chan greatly commended the plans and requested audience to thank his tactician.

And he was denied.

It had been several weeks.

And Zhuge Liang had not recovered.

Jiang Wei maintained his façade.

Writing strategies, drawing up maps.

And fooling the Shu camp.

In fact, Zhuge's condition had worsened.

These days, never a word of sense left Zhuge Liang's lips.

His words were mutated, sentences scrambled.

Someone was going to find out.

His wife did not stop prying. Demanding audience.

And again she was denied.

But it was getting far too close and something had to be done.

So he sat on the edge of his master's bed, looking down at the man who he had admired.

He was now just a mad man, no more than gibberish escaping him.

Once… Prime minister had been the greatest mind in all the lands, an unparalleled military genius.

Now his mind was fractured beyond repair.

"Ah, Yue Ying…"

Liang had said.

"I'm not Yue Ying prime minister. I am Jiang Wei. Your apprentice."

He had replied

"Jiang Wei…"

Liang had said

"Yes prime minister?"

Jiang Wei had said.

"Am I ill?"

Liang had asked.

"Yes"

He had replied.

At this Zhuge Liang had laughed.

Then taken off all of his clothes.

Wei was embarrassed and re-dressed his lord.

And Liang had just smiled.

As if he had no idea what he had just done.

"Jiang Wei… When I die, I want you to take over the army."

He had said.

Jiang Wei sighed.

Was he sincere, or was this more of his lord's gibberish.

And this is when Wei decided.

No one could ever find out.

So he gave his lord his poison.

And lay him down to sleep.

And Liang had smiled.

And tried to get up.

So he again laid his lord to sleep.

And watched him.

Watched his master breathing.

No one could ever know.

He leant over, tears running down his face.

And kissed his lord gently on the forehead.

Before taking his lord's pillow.

And smothering him with it.

And he cried as the last breaths left his master.

And his breating ceased.

And his body was still.

If Liang's mind was gone.

His body was dead.

And no one would ever know.

That Zhuge's last days had been so.

He had waited.

Watching his lord's still body go cold.

And then rushed into the camp.

Lamenting deeply.

"Prime Minister Zhuge Liang Is dead!"

He had called.

Through weeping.

But the tears he wept were true.

His master was dead.

But he had died long ago.

Liu Chan was greatly troubled.

And asked Jiang Wei to become his next strategist.

But Jiang Wei denied.

He told Chan that Liang's last words had been of Jiang Wan.

And how Wan would succeed Liang.

And so it was granted.

Jiang Wan became the new Prime minister.

And Zhuge Liang was buried.

Jiang Wei was never seeking a title,

Had never craved fame.

He just wanted his lord to be remembered.

For the brilliant mind he was.

And not what he had become.

And Wei had accomplished his task.

Zhuge Liang.

One of the greatest minds in the three kingdoms…


End file.
